Cheryl Jones- Lung Transplant
Donation protected
The $50,000 that we are hoping to raise would be to help her with expenses before and after her lung transplant. Here is where 100% of donations will be going:
-Lodging/Food (post-transplant)
-Lost Wages for Family Caregiver (during 12-week post-transplant recovery)
-Home Expenses (for bills when Grandma and Grandpa are away in St. Louis)
-Transportation/Fuel (between home and St. Louis before and after the transplant)
-New Medications ($500-$1,000/month)
-Follow-up Visits in St. Louis for the rest of her life
See my Grandma's story below.
Meet Cheryl Jones - my grandma. She's 68 years young and lives in Kearney, Missouri. She's the mother of two, and grandmother of 3. She's a great mother, grandmother, and friend. She's also a breast cancer survivor.
In May, 2010, my grandmother was about to leave for a business trip. While she was finishing up her last-minute errands, she started to feel sick. She assumed she was starting to come down with a cold, and thought she may need to see a doctor to get some medicine before she left. As the day continued, she began struggling to breathe, and drove herself straight to the hospital, where she was immediately admitted. Her life completely changed that day.
After a total of 7 weeks in the hospital (one of those weeks in ICU), numerous tests, x-rays, and a lung biopsy, she was allowed to return home. Before she went to the hospital, she worked full-time, traveled for business on a regular basis, and enjoyed a life of independence. Now after returning home from the hospital, she was on numerous medications, oxygen support, and was unable to work.
Doctors finally diagnosed her with Pulmonary Fibrosis - a disease that causes scar tissue to build up within the lungs, making even the simplest of tasks exhausting. Having a conversation, walking from her bedroom to the living room, even just walking a few feet causes her oxygen to drop dramatically, leaving her breathless. In February of 2014, she was told she had 1 to 1 and a half years to live, unless she received a transplant.
We are happy to say she is currently on a lung transplant list, and is completing the necessary preliminary tests.
The closest hospital able to do the procedure is in St. Louis - about 265 miles away. If she gets a call that a donor lung has become available, she and my grandpa are ready to jump in the car and get to the hospital within the 4-hour time limit required to receive the transplant.
Since she has not been able to return to work since 2010 when she received her diagnosis, she has all but depleted her nest-egg on doctor visits, trips to the ER, and traveling to various hospitals across the country for testing. While the lung transplant itself is very costly (single-lung transplant $561,200, double-lung transplant $797,300), there are a great many other costs associated with after care. She will be required to live in the immediate vicinity of the transplant hospital in St. Louis for at least 12 weeks. During this time, my grandfather (a barber, and the only income for the two of them) will have to be away from his job in the Kansas City area to be with her in St. Louis. Other family members have volunteered to help in her care during her recovery, but they will also be required to relocate temporarily and leave their jobs for that time.
We thank you for taking time to read about Grandma. Any donation, prayers, or words of encouragement are appreciated.
-Lodging/Food (post-transplant)
-Lost Wages for Family Caregiver (during 12-week post-transplant recovery)
-Home Expenses (for bills when Grandma and Grandpa are away in St. Louis)
-Transportation/Fuel (between home and St. Louis before and after the transplant)
-New Medications ($500-$1,000/month)
-Follow-up Visits in St. Louis for the rest of her life
See my Grandma's story below.
Meet Cheryl Jones - my grandma. She's 68 years young and lives in Kearney, Missouri. She's the mother of two, and grandmother of 3. She's a great mother, grandmother, and friend. She's also a breast cancer survivor.
In May, 2010, my grandmother was about to leave for a business trip. While she was finishing up her last-minute errands, she started to feel sick. She assumed she was starting to come down with a cold, and thought she may need to see a doctor to get some medicine before she left. As the day continued, she began struggling to breathe, and drove herself straight to the hospital, where she was immediately admitted. Her life completely changed that day.
After a total of 7 weeks in the hospital (one of those weeks in ICU), numerous tests, x-rays, and a lung biopsy, she was allowed to return home. Before she went to the hospital, she worked full-time, traveled for business on a regular basis, and enjoyed a life of independence. Now after returning home from the hospital, she was on numerous medications, oxygen support, and was unable to work.
Doctors finally diagnosed her with Pulmonary Fibrosis - a disease that causes scar tissue to build up within the lungs, making even the simplest of tasks exhausting. Having a conversation, walking from her bedroom to the living room, even just walking a few feet causes her oxygen to drop dramatically, leaving her breathless. In February of 2014, she was told she had 1 to 1 and a half years to live, unless she received a transplant.
We are happy to say she is currently on a lung transplant list, and is completing the necessary preliminary tests.
The closest hospital able to do the procedure is in St. Louis - about 265 miles away. If she gets a call that a donor lung has become available, she and my grandpa are ready to jump in the car and get to the hospital within the 4-hour time limit required to receive the transplant.
Since she has not been able to return to work since 2010 when she received her diagnosis, she has all but depleted her nest-egg on doctor visits, trips to the ER, and traveling to various hospitals across the country for testing. While the lung transplant itself is very costly (single-lung transplant $561,200, double-lung transplant $797,300), there are a great many other costs associated with after care. She will be required to live in the immediate vicinity of the transplant hospital in St. Louis for at least 12 weeks. During this time, my grandfather (a barber, and the only income for the two of them) will have to be away from his job in the Kansas City area to be with her in St. Louis. Other family members have volunteered to help in her care during her recovery, but they will also be required to relocate temporarily and leave their jobs for that time.
We thank you for taking time to read about Grandma. Any donation, prayers, or words of encouragement are appreciated.
Organizer
Zachary Chapman
Organizer
Blue Springs, MO